Monday, 14 January 2013

One of the most annoying things about comics is how characters die and come back from the dead so often that death loses its meaning. However, The Walking Dead, is the opposite to that - Once characters die, they stay dead...well, okay, they might come back from the dead once, but after they're killed a second time, they are definitely dead! Here is my Top Ten list of shocking deaths from The Walking Dead series.

[SPOILERS for The Walking Dead #1 - 100]

10) Amy (Died - # 5)

Amy had the dubious honour of being the first main character to die in the comics, and her death acted as the first demonstration that these characters weren't safe and could die, even if they were popular and had potential.

9) Shane (Died - # 6)

Shane was another early exit - shot through the neck by Carl. This plotline seemed to be resolved too quickly and even writer, Robert Kirkman, regrets killing off Shane so early. In the TV show, Shane lasted a lot longer and more tension is drawn out from their rivalry over Lori. Shane manages to get killed off twice - once by Carl and the second time, much later, in Zombie form by Rick.

8) Carol (Died - # 42)

Carol's suicide by zombie was surprising, as it came out of nowhere. She had been acting erratically beforehand, propositioning Lori with a threesome with Rick and an attempted kiss. With her advances spurned, Carol found someone else to get close with - unfortunately, it was a hungry zombie. The smile on her face as her throat gets ripped out is particularly unnerving.

7) Duane (Zombified - # 58)

Duane and his father, Morgan, are the first human survivors that Rick stumbles across, hiding out in his abandoned neighbours house. When Rick leaves to find Lori & Carl, he offers Morgan & Duane the opportunity to join him, but they prefer to stay. Many issues later, Rick returns to his home street and finds that Morgan has survived, but his son is now zombified.

6) Billy (Died - # 61)

Billy and Ben are two of the youngest survivors, losing both of their parents through the course of the series. Gradually Ben becomes more fascinated by death, and murders his twin-brother, Billy. The adults are unsure how to deal with someone like Ben who has no concept of life and death, and therefore dangerous, but matters are taken out of their hands when Carl executes his former friend.

5) Glenn (Died - #100)

One of the more recent deaths, it was heavily teased that something shocking would happen in the 100th issue of the comic and many speculated a long-running character would meet their demise. Negan, the new psychopath, lined up all the characters and picked one at random to brutally murder with a baseball bat to teach them a lesson. Unfortunately, his finger pointed at Glenn, one of the longest-running and more likeable characters in the show.

4) Abraham (Died - #98)

In terms of pure shock value, Abraham's death is up there because it came out of the blue. Whilst walking with Eugene, Abraham is shot through the eye with an arrow mid-sentence. There was no build-up or foreshadowing and the character had seemingly replaced Tyreese as Rick's second-in-command, so to be wiped out within a few panels was very shocking.

3) Tyreese (Died - # 46)

For the duration of the Prison-era of the series, Tyreese was Rick's second-in-command and friend. He was physically strong and a useful soldier in the war against The Governor's army. However, he was captured by The Governor and executed in front of the survivors, using Michonne's katana. Tyreese maintained composure in the face of certain death and despite being a fan favourite, was not safe.

2) Rachel & Susie (Died - # 15)

The death of Hershel's twins is particularly shocking because it not only came out of left-field, but it also involved no zombies and there was no real motiviation. Whilst in the prison, the survivors come across a group of prisoners unaware that one of them, Thomas, is a serial killer. At some point off-panel, he decapitates the twin girls, despite knowing he will get caught. It's a motiveless crime, served only to fuel Thomas' urge to murder living people. Ultimately, the twins weren't essential to the plot, so their deaths had a short-term effect, unlike my suggestion for the number one shocking death.

1) Lori & Judith (Died - # 48)

Since the first issue, Rick has been the lead character and his aim was to reunite with his family and keep them safe, so when his wife falls pregnant, his initial fear is that she will die in childbirth, and many readers predicted a troublesome birth, resulting in the death of mother or child. However, baby Judith was born healthily without any issues to Lori, but when The Governor storms the prison, he orders Lilly to shoot at Lori, who is carrying baby Judith. The shot seemingly kills Lori & Judith, although writer Robert Kirkman later pointed out that Judith wasn't killed by the shot, but was crushed by Lori's body...wow. Unlike the other deaths, these two changed Rick as a character and the focus of the book - the survivors left the prison and have continued their travels, meeting new characters, but Rick is forever changed.

What do you think? Have I missed out any shocking deaths? Do you disagree with my list - drop me a comment below or feel free to tweet me @PCB_Blog with your thoughts!